Tomorrow is a long time
by CrazyDiamondLady
Summary: The group has been living in Alexandria Safe Zone for almost 3 months now. Daryl doesn't feel at home there, but tries his best to fit in. He's now a recruiter with Aaron. On one of their trip, they make a discovery that will change everything. Mostly canon for the characters, but a lot of changes in the story (codafix). This story takes place around the beginning of S6.
1. Nothing to lose

Prelude: Daryl never found the right lead from the white cross, having lost track of the car. After a week, Atlanta has become too dangerous for both Carol and him. They didn't find a good shelter and were going around in circles, with no results and no supplies. After a harsh argument, Carol finally convinced Daryl to give up and follow her back to the group. It was a really tough decision to make, but they left the city to go find them. He wanted to stay and keep looking, but maybe that would've killed him. He was willing to die if that's what it took to save Beth, but that's not what she would've wanted. That's what made up his mind. They got back, found their group at the church, left for Washington and met Aaron on the way there. Daryl was now a recruiter in the Alexandria Safe Zone.

"So... You in?"

Daryl wasn't listening. He was distracted, sharpening bolts, sitting in the front porch stairs of Aaron's house. He's lost in his thoughts again, Aaron said to himself.

"Daryl…Atlanta…what do you think? Good idea or not?"

"I've been there. Not a lot to find…nothin' to find." he answered, eyes fixed on his task.

"I know it's a big deal for you…" Aaron waited for a reaction that didn't come. "Carol told me you lost someone there."

Aaron finally got his attention. Daryl looked at him with no expression in his eyes. Total emptiness. He waited a moment before answering.

"There's nothin' to tell."

"I…um…I've been planning on going for a long time now, and I think that I'm ready, now that I have a good partner. It's a big trip, but Deanna agrees. It's worth trying. We can check the suburbs around, the malls, hospitals…"

"A'right."

His answer surprised him.

"Yeah? You sure?"

"We have nothin' to lose. Maybe people to help. 'll be more useful than stayin' here and if that's where you wanna go…"

"That's where I want us to go. Good. Good. We could leave as soon as tomorrow. Get it over with."

"Whatever you decide."

"Ok. But your opinion counts, you know."

"I don't care. Just wanna...keep my mind off things."

"I understand."

...

They parked half a mile before arriving downtown and hid the car under branches. They walked the rest to avoid noise and attention.

"There." Aaron pointed at a sign. "There's a hospital not too far from here. Probably Grady Memorial." He opened a tourist book of Atlanta.

"They had this in the library. Thought it could be useful."

"Yeah, clever. Can you find the nearest attraction? I'll take pictures and buy souvenirs at the gift shop for everybody. "

"Don't be bitter. And stop making fun of me."

"Where's your sense of humor, man?"

"All right, Iet me check where's the Hard Rock Cafe. Maybe we can have a drink there. "

"That's the spirit."

"I was right. Grady Memorial Hospital."

"If there's no people, we can check for med supplies."

"Exactly."

They came across a couple of walkers, but nothing they couldn't handle. They arrived at the hospital safely without meeting any survivors.

"Don't you think it's strange? A city as big as Atlanta, with no people around?" Aaron asked, without expecting a real explanation from Daryl.

"Big cities are the worst. 've been here more than once. Too many geeks, 'round every corner. Either they were smart enough to leave...or too weak to survive."

"Let's find out if you're wrong."

 **...**

 **AN: This is my 2nd fanfic ever written. English is not my 1st language. Please be indulgent ;) Thx for your reviews. Go bethyl! Love to ship them and always will.**


	2. Footsteps

They didn't want to take the main entrance. They found a discreet unlocked entrance on one side of the building. They made noise to attract the dead and get rid of them, but it seemed like it has already been taken care of by someone else. Or they had left. Aaron tried to check if there was any living human presence around.

"Hello?"

"I don't think that..."

"Wait."

So Daryl waited.

They started to hear some footsteps.

"Walkers ?" Aaron whispered. He knew Daryl could make the difference. "It sounds like it's limping..."

"That ain't no walker."

"Hello ? We can hear you. We don't want any trouble. We just wanna help. " Daryl sighed and rolled his eyes, discouraged by Aaron's lack of caution. They definitely didn't have the same methods, but somehow Daryl trusted him.

There was no answer.

"My…my name is Aaron. My friend and I…are just looking for some survivors. To help."

"What makes you think I need help?" the stranger asked. Daryl raised his crossbow and exchanged a look with Aaron.

"We can leave if you don't want us here. Or you can tell us your name." Aaron added.

Another silence.

"Let's just go, man." Daryl grunted. They started to walk backwards to leave.

"Noah."

Aaron stopped walking.

"I'm sorry?"

"The name's Noah."

...

"Hello Noah. It's nice to meet you."

"Drop the kindness. And drop you weapons. I'm gonna turn the corner now. I want to hear you weapons drop on the floor before I do."

"No problem." Aaron put his gun down on the floor in front of him and made enough noise so Noah would believe him. Daryl didn't move an inch.

"No problem." Aaron repeated more clearly, giving an insisting look towards Daryl, asking him to do the same. Daryl grunted as an answer and dropped his crossbow loudly.

"Arms in the air, hands where I can see them."

"Ok. We're ready."

Noah appeared slowly from behind the wall with a gun pointing at them.

"See? We mean no harm." Aaron tried.

"Why are you here?"

"We come from a safe camp. Actually, it's bigger and better than a camp. It's a community. And we are recruiters. We go outside our walls to find people and bring them inside with us, if they want to. To give them a chance. And the more people in, the better, we think."

"More mouths to feed." Noah said.

"More workers to contribute." Aaron replied.

Noah considered his answer. Aaron continued.

"Do you have a group here with you?"

"I don't have to answer that."

"I know. You're right. You don't have to tell me anything. But you don't seem to be in your best shape. When was the last time you had a meal? "

"Not long ago. I just have a bad leg, that's all."

"We have a doctor back at home. Actually it's a nurse, but she's been studying..."

"We have a doctor too. And we're in a hospital..."

"Right! Right. That makes sense. It's just that we're used to come across people in need. We haven't met a lot of people that have a stable…functional…system."

"We had a system."

"Had?"

"Yeah…our leader…she was…she wasn't a good person…"

"So you have a group here with you."

"I've said too much."

"Do you want us to leave, Noah? It looks like this is your home. We didn't mean to intrude or anything. We have something to offer, but take it only if you need it."

"Our system…her system…it worked for a while. But it wasn't the way we wanted things to work. It was a…selfish and strict way to do things…that's the opinion of the people that stayed. The others…well they left when our leader died. And now…we kind of…are wondering what plan is next."

"So you may need our help? Looking for a new home?"

"This place was never my home."

Aaron gave him a compassion smile.

"Then please. Let us help your group."

"What would we owe you?" Noah's question surprised them.

"You would meet our leader and eventually get assigned to a job in which you would be comfortable of doing. The nature of it would depend on your abilities and taste."

"I could get a job I like?"

"As long as it's useful to the community, yes. You could."

"You seem like all right people. And your friend, who is he?"

"Initially, he's from another group that we recruited. I gave him his job as my partner because I know I can trust him. And so can you."

"I'll need to consult my people first."

"That means you're interested?"

"We'll want to make sure it's not a trap. Kind of how we all got trapped in here… "

"Trapped? Oh… We completely understand."

"I'll take your weapons to them. Just in case. And your friend stays here."

"Ok." Aaron answered before turning towards Daryl." It's all right with you? "

"Yeah. But if you're not back in fifteen, I'll come and check." He looked at Noah while he said that.

Noah left with Aaron walking in front of him. The rest of his group was waiting in a hall two doors away.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Thanks for the reviews and follows, you guys. More chapters to come soon! Let's keep on shipping!_**


	3. Halfway there

"Noah, are you ok? Who is this?" asked Amanda.

"I'm ok, Shepherd. This is Aaron. He says he's a friend. "

"Hi." Aaron addressed to everybody.

"What do you want?" Amanda asked.

"Like I explained to your friend Noah, I just want to help. I'm from a community. And I recruit people in the need."

"We don't need your help."

"Where is this place?" a young girl asked.

"I can't tell you yet. First I need to know that I can trust you. Like you need to make sure you can trust me." Aaron answered.

"And how can we make sure it's not a trap?"

"Here." He took his backpack off him and showed them pictures from Alexandria. "And we can talk. Learn to know each other a little better."

"They look OK. I don't think we have a lot to lose. I can't stay in this place any longer anyway", Noah said.

"Me neither. Well…um…Aaron. Is it?" the young girl said.

"Yes."

"It's…nice to meet nice people."

"Same here. I heard that her name was Shepherd…?" Officer Shepherd was at the other end of the hall now, looking around, armed and watchful.

"Well Shepherd is her last name…her first name is Amanda. And this is Dr. Edwards. And Officer McGinley…" They all waved at him in response.

"And I'm Beth."

"Nice to meet you all. Uh…what did you said your name was? "

"Beth. Beth Greene."

"Well I'll be damned." Aaron started laughing.

"What?"

"I can't believe it. You're Maggie's sister."

* * *

"What did you just say?"

"Maggie Greene. Glenn's wife. You are the missing Greene sister."

"Maggie! Maggie's alive?! You know my sister! Oh my god!"

"Beth, do you know this guy?" Dr. Edwards asked.

"No, but he can't just guess my sister's name. And Glenn…I'm going with you."

"Beth, wait…are you sure?" Shepherd asked. She approached the group when she heard Beth getting excited.

"Yes. You're free to stay. You do what you want. I'm going to find my family."

"I'll go with you." Noah said. Beth smiled at him. "Do you have a car?"

"Yes. But I have another recruiter with me. So the places are limited. We'll need another vehicle if we all leave."

"We have a van. We can at least get you to your car", McGinley offered.

"Thank you. Well this is a miracle. Maggie will be so happy. Do you need to pack things before you leave?"

"We each have a backpack with supplies in case we had to leave in a rush. We'll get them and we'll be good to go."

Aaron waited for them to come back.

"Ready?"

"Yes. Let's go", Beth said, panting and excited.

They were about to turn the corner when they heard a voice from the hall.

"Hey! Aaron! 's been fifteen! Just give me a sign, man. We ain't got all day."

Beth stopped walking and dropped her bag on the floor. She brought one hand to her mouth and leaned the other one on the wall next to her to steady herself. She stopped breathing. Aaron walked to her, put a hand on her back for support and smiled.

"I'm ok, Daryl. We're very ok" He mentioned his name on purpose. At the sound of it, Beth looked in Aaron's eyes. It's like she couldn't believe it until now. She let out a gasp and started running towards the hall.

* * *

Daryl was pacing around in circles, nervously, chewing on his thumb. The moment she turned the corner, his back was facing her. When he heard running footsteps, he turned around in a quick motion, alert.

The moment his eyes found hers, they both froze. They stayed a couple of meters away for a moment, just looking at each other, not believing what was happening. She looked shocked and he was frowning. The others got the time to catch up but kept their distance, watching the scene in silence.

Her legs decided that she couldn't hold it anymore. Without thinking, she started running towards him again. When she reached him, she jumped in his arms and he grabbed her, lifting her up off the floor. He almost fell backwards while catching her. When the two bodies made contact, they both let out a sob. He held her tight for almost a minute while the others watched in a respectful silence.

A hundred questions popped into Aaron's mind. He didn't know they were that close. He hasn't seen Daryl being this emotional before. And then he connected the dots.

It was Beth. The person he lost in Atlanta was Beth.

Daryl put her down after a while, pulled away, just enough to take her face in his hands. And then touched hers arms. And opened her palms. She saw panic growing in his eyes as he scanned every inch of skin she was showing.

"I'm ok. I'm ok", she said softly. She cupped his cheek in her hand and searched his eyes.

"Hi", she whispered. A big smile appeared on her face, under her puffy eyes. She let out a chuckle.

He searched something in her eyes before answering. Like he was still looking for an explanation to all this.

"Hi", he managed to say, the single syllable half caught in his throat.

"Let's get you home, Beth", Aaron said softly, feeling uncomfortable breaking the moment.

"I'm halfway there", she said, her eyes still locked with Daryl's.

* * *

 ** _A/N: The perfect reunion, in my mind. Hope you liked it! More to come soon. xo CDL_**


	4. Goodbyes

They walked out of the hospital all together, leaded by Shepherd. When they reached the van, McGinley took the wheel and Aaron sat in the front with him, in the passenger seat. The others squeezed in the back and sat on the van's floor.

"Hold on tight. No seatbelts back here", Shepherd recommended.

"Sit in the corner", Daryl ordered Beth. He pointed the corner with his chin to encourage her.

"Ok." She sat in the back corner like she was told. He probably thought it was a safer spot. Noah sat next to her. Daryl waited for everybody to be on board before jumping in and closing the doors.

"I'm glad you found him", he told Beth.

"Me too", she answered. Daryl gave Noah a questioning look but stayed silent.

"Everybody ok?" Aaron asked. They all nodded. "Let's not waste any more time then."

Beth closed her eyes. Daryl looked more distracted than her, looking out the window and at the white cross on it, thinking the moment could be slipping away soon.

* * *

They arrived at Aaron's car fast. McGinley help them take the branches off of it. When they were ready to leave, Dr. Edwards spoke first.

"I don't think I'm gonna go with you. I have my office back there, all my things…the patients need me."

"You can't stay alone with them, we decided to come back for them later", Beth told him.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna stay too", McGinley added.

"We sure could've used your talents, but you do as you wish", Aaron said to both of them.

"Amanda?" McGinley asked.

"Too many bad memories, Ted. I'm sorry." Shepherd answered him. "You don't mind me coming along?" she asked Beth and Noah.

"I don't think we have a say in this, but I'll be happy if you do", Beth said. Then she turned towards the two men, giving them a "are you sure" look.

They started to hear growls in a distance.

"We gotta go, Beth" Daryl said. Those words rang a bell. She ignored his order and hugged Dr. Edwards. He was surprised by her gesture.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you. You didn't deserve it. Far from it", he said to her.

"I'm glad you were there." She pulled away. "Good luck ", she said to both of them.

"If you change your mind…" Aaron said before giving them a piece of paper with a drawing of a map on it.

"Thank you. Goodbye, guys. It was a pleasure. Take good care of you." McGinley said.

Beth watched them walk back to the van. Daryl kept his eyes on her and waited for her to go inside the car before going in himself. She turned around but didn't look at him. She sat in the backseat and he followed, sitting next to her. They started the car and left. Beth looked at the van getting smaller and smaller in the mirror.

Her hand searched his blindly. When her fingers softly brushed his, he didn't flinch. Their fingers laced together naturally and he held her hand firmly, looking away. Looking outside, ready to attack. Ready to save her again. And again.

They hated goodbyes.


	5. What's real and what counts

On their way to the safe zone, Aaron explained how he met the group and reassured Beth that everyone has made it.

"How's Judith?" she asked him next.

"Still kickin' some ass" Daryl answered her vaguely, still looking out the window.

Beth laughed a little and turned to him. He felt her look on him, turned his head to look back at her. Her smile fell and she looked at him more seriously. Her heart rate went a little faster. It felt so good to be next to him again. He swallowed hard and dropped his eyes. He turned his head back, looking out the window again. That's when she realized he was no longer holding her hand. Probably wasn't for a while now.

She had a million things she wanted to say to him, yet she didn't have a single word coming out of her mouth. There was something different about him, about the way he was, so serious and…sad? She couldn't read him. She knew him, though. She knew that he was not the kind of person who shows or verbalizes his feelings. She would have to ask him. And then believe the answer he would want to give her. But now was not the moment. They were both overwhelmed by the events of the day. First, she had to convince herself that everything that was going on was true. That would be a good start. And then figure out what to do next.

"I think you will like what we built. It's a nice community. Good people" Aaron said.

"Is your family there?" Beth asked. There was a brief silence before he answered.

"My life partner is. Eric will be really happy to meet you all." He took his eyes off the road for a second to give her a quick smile.

"We'll be glad to meet him too" Noah said from the passenger's seat.

"I'm sorry you lost people" Beth said to Aaron after a while.

"Thank you. But who didn't, huh?"

No one needed to answer his question.

"It's different then seeing the ones you love die in front of you. Maggie told me about your father… In my case, I just…never saw them again. They just…disappeared. Vanished. I have no idea where they are now, if there're still alive. It's another kind of grief. It's not the same thing."

"'s worst" Daryl quietly said, maybe more to himself than to be part of the conversation.

They all looked at him, surprised to suddenly hear him talking. Their stare was an invitation for him to explain further.

"Not to know… 's lot worst."

Beth suddenly felt bad. She had an idea of who he was referring to. She should have been stronger. She should have been more careful that night they got separated. She wanted to tell him she was sorry that she made him feel that way. Made Maggie feel that way.

Or maybe he was thinking about his brother. She heard there was this long period of time, more than a year, when he didn't know if he was still alive. The group gave up on Merle and Daryl chose to follow them instead of leaving to look for him. He probably felt guilty about it.

He was still looking out the window. He brought his thumb to his mouth and started biting its nail. He looked worried and lost, she thought. Maybe he was having the same hard time as her, having trouble believing that they were back. Back together.

"You must be glad you found them… I wish it'd happen to me. You're very lucky, you know…" Shepherd said to Beth.

At first, Beth couldn't say anything. Yes. Definitely. On the other hand, she earned it. They all did. They went through so much. But Shepherd didn't know all that and she was a direct, outspoken person. So she gave a simple answer to that.

"I know." She hesitated but finally took a glance towards Daryl while she said that. She couldn't tell of he was listening or not. He suddenly seemed so far away…

"I'll never find my people" Shepherd said, turning her head towards the road, but staring into space, at nothing, clearly lost in her memories.

"You don't know that."

* * *

Daryl was too shocked to act normally. He wanted to reassure her. He wanted to reassure her. He wanted to tell her that it was a good thing they have found each other. And that everything was going to be ok now. But how can you say something like that when you're not even sure it's happening? How can you tell if it's real?

Those thoughts were predominantly swirling around in his head while he was trying to catch bits of the conversation.

"You don't know that."

Daryl heard Beth say those words before. And she wasn't naive. She was right. He didn't know back then. That in the end he would find his people. She gave him faith. It was all she had left to give and she gave it to him. Like protection was all he had left to offer. She gave him all she had when he thought they had nothing.

That had to count for something.


End file.
